The Awareness Center closed. We operated from April 30, 1999 - April 30, 2014. This site is being provided for educational & historical purposes.
We were the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA); and were dedicated to ending sexual violence in Jewish communities globally. We did our best to operate as the make a wish foundation for Jewish survivors of sex crimes. In the past we offered a clearinghouse of information, resources, support and advocacy.

The
Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children (hereafter
"CSEC") involves
CSE
primarily or entirely for financial or other economic reasons.The economic exchanges involved in the CSEC may be either monetary
or non-monetary (i.e., for food, shelter, drugs) in nature but,
in every case, involves maximum benefits to the exploiter and an
abrogation of the basic rights, dignity, autonomy, physical and mental
well-being of the children involved
(ala Hughes, 1999).

Introduction

The
materials available from this web site were generated from a two-year
study that examined the nature and extent of CSE and the CSEC in the
three countries of the North American Free Trade Agreement (hereafter
NAFTA), i.e., United States, Canada and Mexico.

Project
Goals and Objectives

The
goals of the project included: 1) identification of the nature, extent, and underlying
causes of CSE and the CSEC occurring in the three countries of the North
American Free Trade region--the U.S., Canada,
and Mexico; 2) identification of those subgroups of children that are at
the greatest risk of being sexually exploited; 3) identification of
subgroups of adult perpetrators of sex crimes against
children—including pimps, traffickers, and adult “customers” of
children for sex; 4) identification of the extent to which organized
criminal units are involved in the CSEC; 5) identification of the modes
of operation and other methods used by organized criminal units to
recruit children into sexually exploitive activities; 6) identification
of local, state and national laws relating to CSE and the CSEC; 7)
identification of international agreements, covenants and declarations
pertaining to CSE and the CSEC; 8) identification of the strengths and
weakness of the country’s current capacity for preventing CSE, or at
least protecting children from its commercial manifestations; and, 9)
with governmental and nongovernmental leaders, frame recommendations
designed to strengthen the nation’s capacity to prevent and protect
the nation’s and region’s children from sexual exploitation.

Project
Methods

The
project was implemented in 13 phases: 1) the recruitment,
selection and hiring of staff; 2) reviews of relevant criminal justice
and human service literatures; 3) establishing linkages with key
governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations serving
sexually exploited children; 4) the appointment of national and regional
CSE experts to an International Advisory Group; 5) interviews with key
decision makers in law enforcement and the human services; 6)
implementation of city focus group meetings in 28 North American cities--the
U.S. (N=17), Canada (N=4), and Mexico (N=7); 7) statistical surveys of
local, state and national governmental and nongovernmental organizations
serving sexually exploited children; 8) interviews with sexually
exploited children; 9) interviews with traffickers in children for
sexual purposes (Mexico); 10) interviews with adult “customers” of
children for sex (Canada); 11) reviews of local, state, and federal
statutes pertaining to CSE and the CSEC; 12) reviews of international
agreements, declarations and covenants pertaining to CSE and the CSEC;
and 13) meetings with law enforcement and human service professionals to
frame recommendations for strengthening the national capacity to
prevent, or at least significantly reduce via protective activities, the
number of children who become victims of CSE and the CSEC.

Research
Partners

The
project involved a unique partnership between: 1) leading governmental
and nongovernmental organizations located in the U.S., Canada and
Mexico; 2) three universities--one located in each country (the
University of Pennsylvania [Philadelphia], the University of Montreal
[Montreal], and the Center for Advanced Studies in Social Anthropology
[Mexico City]); 3) two international child advocacy organizations (the
International Bureau for Children’s Rights [Montreal] and Casa Alianza
[Costa Rica]); 4) the leading national child welfare organizations in
the U.S. (the Child Welfare League of America) and Mexico (the Sistema
Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia--DIF); 5) a major
professional association (the National Association of Social Workers);
and 6) financial participation from the federal government (the U.S.
Department of Justice/ National Institute of Justice), private
foundations (the W. T. Grant Foundation and the Fund for Nonviolence) and
two universities (the University of Pennsylvania and the University of
Montreal).

The
Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children (hereafter
"CSEC") involves
CSE
primarily or entirely for financial or other economic reasons.The economic exchanges involved in the CSEC may be either monetary
or non-monetary (i.e., for food, shelter, drugs) in nature but,
in every case, involves maximum benefits to the exploiter and an
abrogation of the basic rights, dignity, autonomy, physical and mental
well-being of the children involved
(ala Hughes, 1999).

Introduction

The
materials available from this web site were generated from a two-year
study that examined the nature and extent of CSE and the CSEC in the
three countries of the North American Free Trade Agreement (hereafter
NAFTA), i.e., United States, Canada and Mexico.

Project
Goals and Objectives

The
goals of the project included: 1) identification of the nature, extent, and underlying
causes of CSE and the CSEC occurring in the three countries of the North
American Free Trade region--the U.S., Canada,
and Mexico; 2) identification of those subgroups of children that are at
the greatest risk of being sexually exploited; 3) identification of
subgroups of adult perpetrators of sex crimes against
children—including pimps, traffickers, and adult “customers” of
children for sex; 4) identification of the extent to which organized
criminal units are involved in the CSEC; 5) identification of the modes
of operation and other methods used by organized criminal units to
recruit children into sexually exploitive activities; 6) identification
of local, state and national laws relating to CSE and the CSEC; 7)
identification of international agreements, covenants and declarations
pertaining to CSE and the CSEC; 8) identification of the strengths and
weakness of the country’s current capacity for preventing CSE, or at
least protecting children from its commercial manifestations; and, 9)
with governmental and nongovernmental leaders, frame recommendations
designed to strengthen the nation’s capacity to prevent and protect
the nation’s and region’s children from sexual exploitation.

Project
Methods

The
project was implemented in 13 phases: 1) the recruitment,
selection and hiring of staff; 2) reviews of relevant criminal justice
and human service literatures; 3) establishing linkages with key
governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations serving
sexually exploited children; 4) the appointment of national and regional
CSE experts to an International Advisory Group; 5) interviews with key
decision makers in law enforcement and the human services; 6)
implementation of city focus group meetings in 28 North American cities--the
U.S. (N=17), Canada (N=4), and Mexico (N=7); 7) statistical surveys of
local, state and national governmental and nongovernmental organizations
serving sexually exploited children; 8) interviews with sexually
exploited children; 9) interviews with traffickers in children for
sexual purposes (Mexico); 10) interviews with adult “customers” of
children for sex (Canada); 11) reviews of local, state, and federal
statutes pertaining to CSE and the CSEC; 12) reviews of international
agreements, declarations and covenants pertaining to CSE and the CSEC;
and 13) meetings with law enforcement and human service professionals to
frame recommendations for strengthening the national capacity to
prevent, or at least significantly reduce via protective activities, the
number of children who become victims of CSE and the CSEC.

Research
Partners

The
project involved a unique partnership between: 1) leading governmental
and nongovernmental organizations located in the U.S., Canada and
Mexico; 2) three universities--one located in each country (the
University of Pennsylvania [Philadelphia], the University of Montreal
[Montreal], and the Center for Advanced Studies in Social Anthropology
[Mexico City]); 3) two international child advocacy organizations (the
International Bureau for Children’s Rights [Montreal] and Casa Alianza
[Costa Rica]); 4) the leading national child welfare organizations in
the U.S. (the Child Welfare League of America) and Mexico (the Sistema
Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia--DIF); 5) a major
professional association (the National Association of Social Workers);
and 6) financial participation from the federal government (the U.S.
Department of Justice/ National Institute of Justice), private
foundations (the W. T. Grant Foundation and the Fund for Nonviolence) and
two universities (the University of Pennsylvania and the University of
Montreal).

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Survivors ARE Heroes!

The Awareness Center believes ALL survivors of sex crimes should be given yellow ribbons to wear proudly.

Survivors of sexual violence (as adults and/or as a child) are just as deserving of a yellow ribbon as the men and women of our armed forces, who have been held captive as hostages or prisoners of war.

Survivors of sexual violence have been forced to learn how to survive, being held captive not by foreigners, but mostly by their own family members, teachers, camp counselors, coaches babysitters, rabbis, cantors or other trusted authority figures.

For these reasons ALL survivors of sexual violence should be seen as heroes!